I Promise
by Takara Ravenheart
Summary: Post-01 but Pre-02. The Chosen Children have returned to the real world and Tailmon feels awkward now that Hikari is gone. One of her close friends and teammates gives her assurance that she belongs. PataTail/PataGato.


_Hey everyone! This is a fic for between the 3-year-gap of 01 and 02. Focuses on digimon, mainly Tailmon. This is written for Day 2 of the Advent Calendar Challenge as well as the Diversity Challenge for B12: write a fic between 950-999 words._

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><p><span><strong>I Promise<strong>

Tailmon sat by the river, watching the water stream by in silence. The chirping of birds could be heard from a distance. They were in the place that they had last said goodbye to Hikari and the others. She could hear the sounds of the other digimon playing around. She wanted to go play with them but it felt odd. Even though they were friends now, Piyomon and Patamon being her closest friends, she didn't know what to say to them without Hikari by her side.

Even before she met her partner, having travelled alone for so long, she didn't really know how to interact with others. She desperately wanted to talk to them. Piyomon had always encouraged her in battle and Patamon always fought alongside her. But now that the battle was over, she felt as if she were out of place.

"Tailmon?" A soft voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

The feline digimon looked up to see Patamon sit down next to her.

"H-hey," Tailmon said a little nervously. "Aren't you playing with Agumon and Piyomon?"

Patamon laughed. "Yeah, they're super-fun to play with! But then I saw you all alone..." He frowned. "Takeru always said to never let friends feel left out."

Tailmon smiled a little at that. Patamon was always so cheerful that it was hard not to feel happier whenever he was around.

"He would have. But I don't know how to play around much. I mean..." Her cheeks turned pink, her expression turning rather bashful. It felt almost embarrassing to admit this to anyone and she almost didn't know how to.

Patamon blinked. "Oh, I get it." He then smiled. "But it's not something you have to learn!"

"It isn't?" Tailmon said, slightly alarmed.

"Yeah!" Patamon said. "It isn't. All you have to do is just let your guard down!"

"Let my guard down?" Tailmon said. She didn't mean to be so aloof and serious around the others, but working for Vamdemon made it a force of habit unless Wizarmon was around.

Patamon frowned a little. "Yeah, like you act with Hikari. You're a lot more easygoing around her and happier, too."

Tailmon shifted. "Could you teach me?"

Patamon smiled. "Of course! First lesson of the day: Come hang around with us."

"W-what?" Tailmon said, stepping back and almost falling back into the lake.

"Oi!" Patamon grabbed Tailmon's paw with his own and pulled her back. "Don't be nervous, okay? Piyomon's been asking about you, too. She almost came over herself but I told her I'd make sure you're okay."

Tailmon nodded although still looked worried. "It's not that I'm nervous. It's more...the battle's over. We all worked together but everything's over. It almost seems like a curse, you know."

Patamon looked at her, unsure of what to say. "A curse? What do you mean, Tailmon?"

"Wizarmon died trying to help me find my place," Tailmon said. "The place where I truly belong, with Hikari, as a Chosen digimon to help protect this world. But then that mission ended. It almost seems like Wizarmon's sacrifice didn't mean anything. I'm just as much as a misfit now before I met Hikari."

"That's not true!" Patamon said firmly, letting go of her paw. "You're wrong, Tailmon. Wizarmon's sacrifice brought you to us. He saved the Chosen Children. He saved you. He saved Hikari and the rest of us, too. Yeah, Hikari's gone back to her world. I know you miss her, I miss Takeru, too. He and I had some good moments together since the beginning. But you'll see her again. I know that for sure."

Tailmon stared at Patamon, shocked. The two of them had talked a few times since she had joined the team but this was the first time she had heard him sound so certain. To her, he had always seemed like the digimon who didn't take things too seriously.

"Patamon," Tailmon whispered, "how can you be sure?"

"Because I saw Takeru again, too," Patamon said simply. "Because we both believed we'd see each other again."

Tailmon blinked at that. "What? You and Takeru have separated before, Patamon?"

Patamon's expression instantly changed, his eyes downcast. "It was the first time I evolved to Angemon. Devimon, our first enemy, wanted to kill Takeru. All the other digimon were down. Devimon moved to finish off Takeru but I jumped in the way. It made the digivice respond and I became Angemon," He didn't regret that day, he didn't. But he knew how badly it affected his partner. "It took the power of all seven digivices and my own powers to defeat him. I...I turned back into a Digitama."

Tailmon listened intently, her eyes widening as she heard the story. He might look like an innocent digimon but he had been through some tough times himself and yet no matter how tough things got, there was still light in his eyes. The same light she had once seen in Wizarmon's eyes. Kimono Hikari. The light of hope, the belief that things would be okay.

Maybe he...

"You understand what Wizarmon must have felt like, don't you?" Tailmon asked quietly.

Patamon smiled a little. "I'm neither the smartest nor the strongest but he wanted to protect you. You were his precious friend and, at that time, his own life wasn't important as long as you had a chance to live. To be happy with Hikari and the rest of us."

"Patamon..." Tailmon suddenly leaned close and hugged the other digimon. It felt nice. It was a different warmth to when Hikari held her but it felt secure. "Thank you. I'll give interacting with the others a chance, okay? Just help me learn please."

Patamon simply nodded, not saying anything but pulling her closer to him. "I promise."


End file.
